Halloween Discussion Forums, Costumes, Horror!

ok..... so for the last couple years I have been making life size zombies using PVC pipe for the " skeleton", and then fleshing them out using fun noodles and crumpled newspaper in plastic bags. my main problem is. I can't stake them into the ground very well. the first year I used those big wooden stakes you can get from home depot I then zip tied them to the stakes. after a couple days the zombies would eventually start to lean or fall completely over. Last year I got fed up and just put some screws through both the PVC and the wooden stakes.... that worked ok, but it messed up the PVC and I know at best I would only do this for one to two more years before I had to get new PVC pipe. I want to make them look like they are actually standing. so making a base is out.... plus I have a limited budget...... anyone with a better idea !?!?!?!?

What if you did different poses for the zombies? They're not the most coordinated of creatures, so you could have them crawling across the ground, half-kneeling, or stumbling along in pairs to give you more of a stable base.

What about kid zombies? Animal zombies?

Other than that... what about making the PVC pointed and using the pipes as stakes? To get around putting holes in your shoes, just make sure the pants are long enough to cover where the pipe goes into the ground past the heel of the shoes.

Something else you might consider... buying some clothes at a thrift store and making them look more ratty, oil & dirt stained, muddy and bloody.... the zombie in the photo looks like he shops at the mall regularly and not like he crawled out of the grave.

I do several differnt poses with the zombies... most are actually just the "ground breaker" type, or crawling. I was considering sharpening the ends to stake them down. unfortunately our ground is a little rocky and to post the stake I need to hammer it in a little... good sugestion on the clothes... I will drag some stuff through the dirt.. make some holes etc. this year...

Okay... what about a concrete block with a larger PVC sleeve in it? Granted, you'd have to hide it with dirt, cloth, or something. But it should be heavy and sturdy enough.

You'd want the pipe sleeve to be long enough to resist dead load and wind load without snapping, so you'd have to make sure the PVC pipe is long enough so it doesn't snap from the forces. Also, if you're going to do this and set it with concrete, you'll want to do it this weekend so your concrete is stronger. It won't be 28-day strong, but it should hold better than if you did it the night before.

... and if that's not suitable... gimme time to think of something else that may work.

that might just work.. could kill the grass a little.. but hey its winter right !?!?

I use rebar to hold up all of my zombies, tombstones, scarecrows, cemetery fencing, etc. The rebar makes the dispaly pieces very sturdy and 1/2" or 3/4" PVC slides right over it. Just pound the rebar into the ground and slide your prop down over it. You should be able to get rebar at your local Home Depot, Lowes, or hardware store in lengths from 2ft to 8ft.

thats an awesome idea... got lazy last night and put one up the old way... it of course got real windy, and rained immediately afterward,,, so thisi s this mornigs pic after the storm.. and a general picture of the yard so far